A Toast to Innocence
by JustMae
Summary: Rated T for mild drinking. 10 years later, Troy meets Gabriella again in the grocery store. There's just one problem. Oneshot Songfic. Set to Same Old Lang Syne by Dan Fogelberg. Please REVIEW!


**Mileymontana: Hel-LO my dear readers, this is mileymontana. As you can tell, I LOVE Hannah Montana, but I love High School Musical just as much. So I couldn't resist making this song a Troyella oneshot.**

"**Same Old Lang Syne" is owned by Dan Fogelberg. High School Musical is owned by Disney Channel. I OWN NOTHING!!! **

**(except this fanfic)**

**Onwards!**

**A Toast to Innocence**

_Met my old lover in the grocery store,_

_The snow was falling Christmas Eve._

I hunch my shoulders and bury my neck into my coat collar, trying to stay warm. December in this part of Washington is always freezing. Today's no different.

I look down. Ice puddles cover the ground, making the sidewalk an ice rink to any unsuspecting person. And I don't want that unsuspecting person to be me.

I walk carefully, as fast as I can without slipping. It is Christmas Eve, and the streets are busy as ever with last minute shopping, laughter ringing through the air. I had run out of food tonight and need to make quick stop to the grocery store before hitting my apartment.

I shiver and burrow my neck deeper into my coat, walking more quickly than before.

I remember winters in New Mexico, the place where I'd grown up. Sure, the winters were cold but never this cold. Not this cold, only degrees above freezing.

As I think this, I feel something cold and small brush my shoulder. I look up. It's snowing. Nothing uncommon in this area. I avoid the ice puddles and the snow falling on the ground. As I pass by a store window, a poster catches my eye. It's me.

_Troy Bolton_ the poster reads. I quickly hurry from the window.

The poster had been advertising my new CD. You've probably heard my music on the radio or listening to it right now. I'm pretty lucky in the music industry, I guess. I'm pretty famous, and I can say that without bragging. When I'm on tour I'm in my trailer, or my limo if I'm going to some awards ceremony or public event. Otherwise I take my regular red Mercedes. Today though, I sent it to the auto shop for repairs…just before I realized my fridge was as desolate as a ghost town and I had no way of transportation as even my limo driver had somewhere special to go that Christmas Eve. But not me.

I know, I know. I'm a pop star, shouldn't someone else take care of my food? You're right. I guess it's just my excuse. I wanted to get out into the fresh air. There isn't a lot waiting for me at home anyway. My current girlfriend, Jessica, is out in Africa filming a movie. I miss her, but in some way I'm glad to be alone. I guess when you're usually surrounded by a sea of people a little alone time to yourself every once in while doesn't kill you.

Although most of the time when I walk out into the street fans are on me in a flash. Today though, I figure most people will be too busy shopping or going home to notice me. And I'm right.

_Finally!_ I see the grocery store, and the automatic doors part as I stroll through them. A rush of warm air greets me. I take a quick look at the grocers. They're too busy with customers to notice me.

_Good_, I think, glad to have my privacy, and make my way to the frozen foods section. I try to remember what I need: milk, chicken, corn…

OOMPH!

_I stole behind her in the frozen foods,_

_And I touched her on the sleeve._

I find myself on the floor next to another woman wearing a red coat and green track suit underneath, black hair tied up in a fancy bun. She's frantically picking up her items and putting them in her basket.

"I am so sorry…" I start to say before she looks up and I find myself staring at a pair of dark brown eyes…

_She didn't recognize the face at first,_

_But then her eyes flew open wide._

_She went to hug me and she spilled her purse,_

_And we laughed until we cried._

"Troy?" she asks. Her eyes are as wide as saucers, expression holding disbelief and astonishment. What I suspect mine must look like too.

Then, all of a sudden, she hugs me.

"Oh my god Troy, it's so good to see you. I never thought…the last time…" she seems tongue-tied, smiling.

I grin. I can't talk either. _Gabriella…_ I hadn't seen her in 10 years. I hadn't thought of her in a while…I certainly hadn't expected to see her now.

"I…you live around here?" she asks.

"Oh, yeah." I say, casually.

"Me too." She squints her eyes a little, as if thinking. "I've never seen you here before."

"I travel." I say. _Ok, Troy, that's just lame. All you can say is 'I TRAVEL'?_

She nods. "I'm a teacher here at the high school."

"Cool." I say. _What happened to "Good to see you too"? Or "I've missed you."? SAY SOMETHING! ANYTHING! _

We both look at each other then look away, blushing. It's an awkward moment, but neither of us can think of anything to bridge the silence right now.

"Uh…I have to get going. It's nice to see you. Again." she says, picking up her basket.

_No! Don't go! _I think, frantically racking my brain for an excuse. "Wait!" I call out just as she's turned around.

She slowly turns to face me.

"I can walk you home."

A small smile breaks out on her face. "Ok."

_We took her groceries to the checkout stand,_

_The food was totalled up and bagged._

_We stood there lost in our embarrassment,_

_As the conversation dragged._

"$24.95 ma'm." the clerk says.

Gabriella rifles through her purse, and then looks at the clerk hopelessly. "I'm afraid I only have $20 on me."

I step in. "I'll pay."

Gabriella looks embarrassed. "Troy…"

"It's ok." I say, then pull out a 50 dollar bill and hand it to the clerk. "Keep the change" I say.

The clerk widens his eyes and grins. "Thanks sir." he says.

"Don't mention it. Merry Christmas." I turn back to Gabriella, who is picking up her groceries and grinning. "What?" I ask.

"You like playing hero Troy, don't you?" she says mysteriously, and now it's my turn to blush.

"How far is your house?" I ask, trying to change the subject.

"A few miles out. I have my car out in the parking lot. We can take that instead of walking." she smiles.

"Sounds good."

We walk through the doors and out into the parking lot. It's still snowing, and just as cold as it was before I walked into the grocery store. Except now it's different. Gabriella's with me.

"Nice car." I say teasingly, eyebrows raised as I look at her beat up Chevy.

Gabriella laughs, and it reminds me of bells. I can't believe how much I miss that sound.

We both climb into the car as she starts it up. The noise this motor makes is nearly deafening. I turn the heater on. "It's cold outside." I remark, as if I was realizing this for the first time.

"Tell me about it" she agrees "Last night I forgot to turn the heater on and when I woke up I thought my fingers were frozen solid."

She's staring out at the road, but I can feel the corner of her eye focused on me. "I had to send all the students out early for a snow day." she continues.

"Gabriella…what are you doing tonight?" I blurt out suddenly, embarrassed and relieved at the same time.

Gabriella looks at me quizzically. "Are you…"

"Between friends." I say quickly, mentally kicking myself.

"Oh." I think I see a flicker of disappointment in her eyes, but I probably just imagined it.

"But you probably have other plans…" I try to break the awkwardness.

"Actually…" she looks thoughtful. "No one's home right now, and my relatives aren't coming to visit until tomorrow…"

She stops at a red light, and then turns to me, smiling. "I would love to accompany you on a date right now between friends." she says sarcastically, putting on an English accent.

I grin.

_We went to have ourselves a drink or two,_

_But couldn't find an open bar._

_We bought a six-pack at the liquor store,_

_And we drank it in her car._

Gabriella sighs. "There's just no place open at this hour."

I shrug. "There's always the liquor store."

Gabriella pretends to look offended. "Mr. Bolton, are you trying to get me _drunk_?"

I groan. "I was hoping you wouldn't catch me." I say playfully.

We both start laughing at the same time. I love this moment, and everything about it. This sounds tacky, but I wish time could stay like this forever.

_We drank a toast to innocence,_

_We drank a toast to now._

_And tried to reach beyond the emptiness,_

_But neither one knew how._

"A toast!" I raise my half-full bottle. I wasn't totally drunk, tipsy more like it. "A toast to…" my voice trails off.

"A toast to innocence!" She takes another swig from her bottle.

My worried side takes over and I look doubtful. "Gabi, I don't think you should drink that much."

Her bottle is nearly empty, yet she takes another drink, leaving not a drop left in the bottle, then wipes her mouth and smiles. "Why n-not?"

She's swaying and stuttering now, a definite sign of drunkenness.

"Cause…" I say, unsure. I look at my hands as if they hold the answer.

She leans in closer to me. "I'm having a _really_ fun time Troy."

"Me too." I admit. Then I get thoughtful, or as thoughtful as I can get in my near drunken state. "You wanna…"

She blinks in her drunken stupor. "Yes?"

"You wanna go out? For real?"

All of a sudden the real Gabi comes out. "Troy…"

"No." I finish for her. "That's what you're gonna say: No. Look Gabi, I know I was a fool to give you up in high school. I really didn't know what I was doing. But now I'm seeing you again and I…I miss you Gabi. You don't know how much I've realized I've missed you."

_She said she'd married her an architect,_

_Who kept her warm and safe and dry,_

_She would have liked to say she loved the man,_

_But she didn't like to lie._

"I'm married Troy."

The words cut a knife through me.

"I'm married." she continues, looking down so I can't see her face, almost as if she was ashamed. "Phil's a really nice guy, he's an architect, I'm so, so _happy_, Troy."

She's nearly crying as she enunciates these words, as if trying to convince herself of these things.

"H-he makes good money, and we're not rich or anything. But I'm… happy."

"You love him?"

She looks up. "What?"

"Do you love him?" I ask again, bitterly.

"I married him Troy." she says again for the third time, but each time hits me just as hard.

"But do you love him?" _Do you love him like I love you?_

Gabi bites her lip, her eyes glistening. "I…this…why do you need to know this?" she demands, half yelling, half crying.

I turn away from her. "Forget it." I say.

_I said the years had been a friend to her,_

_And that her eyes were still as blue._

_But in those eyes I wasn't sure if I saw,_

_Doubt or gratitude._

There's silence for a minute. Just a minute. But it feels like lifetimes.

_She said she saw me in the record stores,_

_And that I must be doing well._

_I said the audience was heavenly,_

_But the traveling was hell._

"Do…do you remember when we first met?" I turn to her, confused. She goes on, looking down. "When…when you sang…"

"To you." I finish.

I hear her take a long, deep breath. Then she looks up at me and cracks a smile. "So I hear you're pretty busy, being a big popstar and all."

I let out a laugh. I'd almost forgotten about that, another reason I loved being around Gabriella. She saw a real person inside them, not just what they were known as.

"Yeah, pretty much."

She sticks her tongue out at me. "Hey!" I yell jokingly, grinning.

_We drank a toast to innocence,_

_We drank a toast to now._

_And tried to reach beyond the emptiness,_

_But neither one knew how._

We lapse into silence again. I don't know what she's thinking, and I don't know what's going to happen after this. But one thing I'm sure of: I'm never going to be the same again.

_We drank a toast to innocence,_

_We drank a toast to time._

_Reliving in our eloquence,_

_Another 'auld lang syne'..._

I drank my remaining drink out of the bottle, and then tossed it aside, not too hard. I notice Gabi is staring at me. I raise my eyebrows, noticing for the first time.

"You aren't wearing your ring."

Gabi's face froze, and then she slowly pursed her lips and looks at her hand. "I don't wear it."

She states it so simply, as if it wasn't even something to question, but even so, I can't help thinking about it, hopeless as it is.

Gabi stands up straight from her lazy slouch, and starts the car. "It's getting late." she says "You should go home now."

_The beer was empty and our tongues were tired,_

_And running out of things to say._

I don't even look at her. I open the door and am just about the close it when she stops me. "Troy?"

"Yeah?" I don't believe the impossible.

But she leans over and pecks my cheek. _A friendly kiss_, I think.

She leans back into the car. "Good bye Troy." She closes the door, and starts the car. I watch the truck leave.

_She gave a kiss to me as I got out,_

_And I watched her drive away._

_Just for a moment I was back at school,_

_And felt that old familiar pain ..._

I remember watching her drive away. Not this time, but another time too, except it was me who drove away, not her. It was me who left her.

And now I was paying for it.

I turn away and started to walk toward home, trying to remember clearly _why_, exactly, I broke up with her in high school so many years ago.

Was it Dad? No, and it hadn't been the team either. They didn't exactly encourage me to spend all my free time with her, but they didn't say anything negative about our relationship either. Not that I could remember.

Was it Gabriella? I mentally kick myself again. There was no way the blame laid on _her_, she was the one who didn't want to break up.

Then I remember. It was me. I remember my feelings as if were just now I was breaking up with her, not 10 years ago. I had been afraid. Afraid because I was starting to feel more than just friendship with Gabriella. I had been afraid because I was scared of falling in love with her.

And I don't know why. Maybe it was that time when she had admitted her feelings for me and all I could do was look down and pretend like I hadn't heard her. The time when I knew that I felt the same for her, but couldn't admit it to myself. I don't know what I was thinking, and I don't bother on why anymore. It was my mistake. A mistake I can't take back even if I tried.

_And as I turned to make my way back home,_

_The snow turned into rain ..._

"TROY!"

I spin around. What-

All of a sudden, I feel someone fall into my arms, then look up at me.

"Gabriella." I smile.

**And that, my friends is : A Toast To Innocence . Again, this is a oneshot. Sorry to all you guys who want more. But I will give you these delicious, mouth-watering, imaginary, nonexistent cookies in return for your review:) **

**And don't forget to check out my other Hannah Montana fanfiction, Forgive and Forget If You Can. It's Jiley. Please review! **


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